Violets and VE Day

The news has been full of almost nothing but Covid-19 for weeks, so VE Day (Victory in Europe Day), marking the end of World War II hostilities in Europe has flown very much under the radar.  I hadn’t even realised until last Sunday that the May Day Bank Holiday, which should have been last Monday, had been reassigned to Friday 8th May for the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

Inevitably, comparisons are being drawn between what was happening then and what is happening now.  Be that as it may, it’s a day to mark with a special image.

One of our gardeners has sent me an image of a beautiful painting that she has done for her great-niece, Violet, for her first birthday.  It is, of course, violets, and here it is:

Violets are appropriate, not only for Violet, but also for the day.  Violets symbolise a number of things, including remembrance and thoughts.  Their big sisters, Pansies, get their name from the French ‘pensée’, meaning ‘thought’.  ‘Thinking of you’, perhaps.

There is a lot to remember and to think about, but just as VE Day brought joy to a nation, I’m sure this lovely painting will bring joy to Violet and her family.

Thank you to our gardener for sharing this with us.